In a speech marking the end of the 15th Christmas Symbols Festival here, Loren said that the success of the festival, which drew tourists from abroad and other parts of he country, showed that the Philippines can learn to overcome its obstacles in order to become "a great nation and a great people."

"When we listen to news reports or engage ourselves in politics and business, we always hears of forecasts of a bleak future," Loren told the huge crowd that witnessed he festival's closing ceremonies.

"In fact as the last year drew to a close, year-ender reports of various news agencies have drawn our attention to specific incidents which made last year tumultuous - bombings in Makati, at the Batasang Pambansa and the Manila Peninsula incident. Early on, we witnessed cases of violence and problems in law and order which caused loss of lives and destruction of property," she asserted.

"The economy also had its share of tumult," she continued. "The peso continued to strengthen, thereby affecting the purchasing power of millions of Filipinos who are dependent on OFW [Overseas Filipino Workers] remittances for sustenance and survival. At the same time, the price of oil has shot up, affecting public transport fares, gasoline prices and the cost of delivering goods and services for the poor," Loren declared.

"The government was not spared from scandals. In quick succession, we had the public distribution of gift bags bulging with bills amounting to P500,000 each, questions on the series of privatization deals of the government, the deferment of the World Bank sponsored road projects, and so on," Loren stated.

The Senate, to its credit, did not neglect its duty to conduct public hearings on the incidents. "The hearings proved to be a powerful mechanism for informing the public on governance issues," said Loren.

Noting that the people of Tangub have "got your act together to produce the best and grandest display of Christmas symbols by far, the rest of the country can learn a lesson or two from you in facing and overcoming obstacles that we face as a nation," Loren averred.

"Instead of feeling hopeless and helpless," she stressed, "we can, in fact, take a proactive stance and cooperate with one another and contribute in any way possible so that we can, all together, once again become a great nation and a great people."

Loren congratulated Tangub City Mayor Jenny Tan for spearheading the festival. Locally available materials were used to construct beautiful, popular Christmas symbols, attracting visitors from neighboring localities, other parts of the country and even from abroad. Some 25,000 people attended the opening of the festival, it was learned.

"I was, in fact, thrilled to witness how some of the participants used recycled materials that was why I have supported the festival as it could very be a venue for conservation," she added. "More importantly, this year's revelry reminds us of our need to unite and help one another in our common quest for progress and development as one nation and one people."

Last update : 18-01-2008 13:14

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